Yes, There's Deep-Fried Beer Now

Here's what's frying at this year's Wisconsin State Fair

The Wisconsin State Fair never fails to introduce at least one or two almost impossibly decadent food items each summer, so it's in typical fashion that this year's fair debuts a couple of head-turning additions to its fried-food menu: deep-fried beer and deep-fried butter.

Unlike the deep-fried Coke that caused a stir at state fairs a few years ago, a product that was actually a fried Coke-flavored batter, deep-fried beer uses the liquid form of its signature ingredient. Ravioli-sized, pretzel-flavored pieces of dough are filled with Michelob AmberBock, deep-fried and salted, and then served with a cheddar-cheese dipping sauce—though not before cooling for at least 10 minutes, to avoid serious mouth burns. The snack is sold in five-piece servings for $5, and since the beer retains its alcohol content, it is only available to fairgoers 21 and up.

Even richer is the deep-fried butter. Each is a ball of whipped butter that's been frozen, covered in dough and then cooked in oil. The result tastes like the most butter-saturated hot roll imaginable.

Those aren't the only new items hitting the fryer this year. The Lakefront Brew Pub & Eatery is debuting a dessert called the Elvis—a peanut-butter cup dipped in banana batter and fried. Apollo Gyros, meanwhile, is offering a deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dog. For relative purists who prefer their bacon straight, Firehouse Wings has country-fried bacon, which it serves with gravy. Saz's, meanwhile, has added a menu item called Hog Logs: deep-fried wontons of barbecue pork and cheddar cheese. Compared to those offerings, the fruit tempura at Joey's Tempura Fruit and Vegetables seems relatively guilt-free.

Two other new desserts stand out: Ultimate Confections' chocolate-covered Fritos, a traditional sweet-and-salty combination, and Lehmann's Bakery's Whoopie Pies, a frosting-filled cake popularized in New England. Both are good options for those who don't need their sweets battered and fried.